JANICE SAVES A SNAKE, THANKS TO STEVE

Posted on January 29, 2014

BAWA founder Janice Girardi had a recent encounter with a snake which could have had a bad ending without the help of Steve and his staff at Bali Reptile Rescue.

At home feeding a sweet 4-week-old puppy, Janice heard her gardeners shouting ‘ular, ular!’ which means snake in Indonesian. Looking out into the garden she saw a one-meter long bright green snake headed straight for her dogs. Leaping into action she and the gardeners got all the dogs inside safely, but then she had to convince the gardeners that the snake should also be kept safe.

Thankfully Janice was able to dissuade them from killing the snake and got on the phone to Bali Reptile Rescue, a non-profit 24-hour snake removal service based in Kuta.

Steve’s staff explained to the gardeners that there are 3 types of bright green snakes in Bali, but only one is dangerous. The snake was identified as harmless and, thanks to Bali Reptile Rescue, a beautiful snake was saved from being killed unnecessarily.

Steve offered snake training to BAWA’s staff and sent us some information that all people living in or visiting Bali should be aware of.

The species of dangerous snakes that are found in Bali are the King cobra, the Spitting cobra, the Banded krait, the White lipped pit viper and the Coral snake, but nobody should die if they are bitten by one of these snakes.

The most important thing is to identify the snake by taking a photo if possible. People getting the ‘RIGHT’ treatment will survive a venomous bite. You can read about the ‘RIGHT’ thing to do here:

R – Reassure the patient. 70% of snakebites come from non-venomous species. The remaining 30% are from venomous species. Some of these will not inject venom and the bites are called ‘dry bites’. The victim is not at risk. This is why traditional treatments appear to work.

I ­– Immobilise the affected limb in the same way as for a fracture. Do not tie tight bandages; simply stop the limb from moving as movement helps venom spread.

GH ­­­­– Get to hospital fast. If there is nothing wrong with you then you will be discharged after observation. If you have been envenomed, then the doctor should administer anti-venom.

T ­­– Tell the doctor of any signs that develop on the way to the hospital such as, drooping eyelids, double vision, tasting blood in the mouth or unusual bruising, as these all help the doctor to diagnose if the victim needs anti-venom.

Many quite well-known ‘treatments’ for snake bite do not work and should never be used. Please …

* Do not try to suck out the venom.

* Do not attempt to cut open the area around the bite.

* Do not apply ice to the bite area.

* Do not rub any substances into the bite.

* Do not apply a tourniquet.

* Do not inject anything, including anti-venom, unless you are qualified to do so.